Chair tray



July 16, 1963 C. C. ALFORD CHAIR TRAY Filed y 22, 1961 INVENTOR.

A UE/VE) United States Patent 3,097,884 CHAIR TRAY Carl C. Alford, 1214 Elm Ave., Glendale, Calif. Filed May 22, 1961, Ser. No. 111,584 Claims. ((11. 297--153) This invention relates to a tray construction particularly for the arms of chairs, and more particularly wheel chairs.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and efficient tray construction embodying facile means for supporting on and locking a tray to the arms of a wheel chair or like seat.

Another object of the invention is to provide tray means of the indicated character that is adapted to be applied and removed by a person on the seat without tools.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel tray locking means that insures a solidly connected assembly of the tray to the arms of a chair.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description and which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, with the chair broken away, showing the present tray in operative position on said chair.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view as seen from the bottom as taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of-a modification.

The drawing shows the :arms 5 of a wheel chair, with a seat 6 spanning between said arms. Certain wheel chairs have their front legs 7 integrally carrying forwardly land downwardly directed foot rest brackets 8, the same constituting brace abutments or enlargements useful for suitably bracing or propping a tray in position on said chair. In instances where such brackets 8 are not present, the abutment afforded by such brackets is provided by collars 8a that may be aflixed to both front chair legs 7, as shown FIG. 3. The drawing also shows side pieces 9 that define the sides of the seat, said pieces usually being made of sheet metal. The remainder of the chair is not illustrated since the same is unnecessary to an understanding of the present tray and to how the same is separably carried by the chair.

The present tray comprises a board 10, means 11 to connect said board to the chair :arms 5, and brace means 12 to prop or brace said board and utilizing the abutment afforded by the brackets 8 or the collars 8a, as the case may be.

The board 10 is shown as a generally rectangular and rigid member that is formed, at opposite sides, with recesses 15, the same being spaced according to the spacing of the arms 5 and of a size to receive the vertical portions 16 of said arms, here shown as metal tubes. The depth of recesses is made such as to bring the inner edge 17 of board 10 inward of the vertical arm portions 16, yet clear of the body of a person on seat 6. The under face of the board, adjacent the arms, is adapted to rest upon the upper edges of side pieces 9. Said board may be advantageously made of plywood with a vinyl or plastic top face for good appearance and Wear.

3,097,884 Patented July 16, 1963 "Ice The board-connecting means 11 comprises, generally, a base plate 18 afiixed to the bottom face of the board It) and generally spanning between the recesses 15, a locking arm 19 carried by a pivot 20 by the base plate, a pair of locking cams or dogs 21 carried by pivots 22 by the a base plate, links 23 connecting said arm 19 and the locking dogs to cause movement between locking and releasing position of the dogs upon operative manipulation of arm 19, accordingly, and a lock member 24 for engaging the arm 19 to hold the same in locking or release position, as the case may be.

The base plate 18 constitutes a metal member of such design that the same operatively and relatively locates the pivot 26, ad a relatively long arm extension 26 that for the locking dogs 21. Said plate 18 may be omitted if such pivots 20 and 22 are provided in the board, as when the same is made of metal, for instance.

The locking arm 9 is formed to have two opposite and relatively short arm extensions 25, one on each side of the pivot 29, and a relatively long arm extension 26 that terminates in a handle part 27 and extending at an angle to a straight line that extends through the pivot 20 and the centers of arm extensions 25. The arm extension 26 is shown as having a lateral disposition relative to the board but the same may be differently directed. For instance, said arm extension may be formed as an extension of one of the arm extensions 25. Since the latter arm extensions are generally disposed on or nearly coincident with the medial center of the board 10, between the recesses 15, said extension-s 25 will move oppositely relatively to the pivot 20 upon movement of the handle 27 to pivotally move the arm 19.

The locking cams or dogs 19 comprise curved members that have hook ends 28 that are adapted to move, upon pivotal movement of said dogs on pivots 22, from a retracted position to close the recesses 15 in the-board 10. When the dogs 19 are retracted, the recesses 15 are open and the board is adapted to he slid, edge 17 first, to enter the vertical chair arm portions 16 into said recesses. When the dogs are moved to the position of FIG. 1, the ends 28 thereof swing in behind said arm portions 16 as shown. Each dog 21 is provided with an arm 29 on the opposite side of pivot 22 from the hook end 28 thereof.

The links 23 connect these dog arms 29 to the arm extensions 25 of the locking arm 19 in such manner that said links are in tension when the arm 19 is moving the dogs 21 to projected or locking position.

The locking member 24 comprises a length of angle that has :a wall 30 extending normal from the under face of the board 10 to which said member is affixed by screws 31,.

a slot 32 being formed in wall 30 and through which the locking arm extension 26 projects with the handle part 27 on the outer side of said wall. At opposite ends, said slot is formed to have abutments 33 and 34, the former to hold the arm 19 in the retracted position of the dogs 21 and the latter, as shown, to hold the arm 19 in the projected locking position of the dogs.

In order to insure a firm locking engagement between the dogs 21 and the chair arm portions 16, the member 24 is so located as to require a snap latch engagement between the arm extension 26 and the abutment 34 such as would entail placing the links 23 in strong tension before locking could be effected. A simple release touch to free the handle of abutment 34 causes automatic release of the dogs 21 so the board 10 may be removed with easy facility.

The brace means 12 is shown as two similar brace assemblies each comprising a mounting bracket 35 secured to the under face of board 10, a brace arm 36 connected to said bracket and movable between a retracted out-of- 3 the-way position and a bracing position, and a spring clip 37 on the free end of said arm.

Each bracket 35 is formed to have a socket 38 for a ball 39 on the end of arm 36, and the same is provided with a slot 40 so formed 13s to allow the arm 36 to be swung between a position fiat against the bottom face of board 10 and in a generally transverse disposition and a bracing position directed at a downward angle toward the chair leg 7, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Said socket of course, allows for rotation of the brace arm 36.

Each brace arm 36, at the end opposite to the ball 39 thereon, is bent so that a clip 37, afiixed thereto as by nuts 41, is directed to be normal to the chair leg 7, as shown. Thus, by providing clips 37 that are open at their outer ends, the same may be snapped into engagement with the chair legs 7, the brackets 8 or collars 8a constituting rest elements that support the clips against downward displacement. Of course, the length of brace arms 36 is made to be such as to support the tray board in a horizontal position when connected to the chair in the manner shown.

The rotation afforded by the ball and socket mounts for the brace arms allows the mentioned fiat storing of said arms, as shown in the dot-dash lines of FIG. 2. Clips 42 are provided to hold the arms 36 with the clips 37 angularly directed away from the board to allow such storing.

It will be noted that the top edges of the side pieces 9 cooperate with the brace means to provide a level position for the tray.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular forms of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A tray adapted to be removably connected to transversely spaced vertical tubular members of a chair in which lower enlargements are provided, said tray comprising a board having transversely spaced recesses into which said chair members are adapted to fit, hook members carried by the board on the under side thereof to partly encircle said chair members, means to lock the hook members to retain said chair members intheir recesses, said means comprising pivoted hook-provided locking dogs and means to move said dogs on their pivots between retracted and partly encircling engagement with the chair members, and brace means carried by the board and 'angularly directed to engage the lower portions of the chair members and to rest upon the enlargements thereof.

2. A tray adapted to be removably connected to transversely spaced vertical tubular members of a chair in which lower enlargements are provided, said tray comprising a board having transversely spaced recesses into which said chair members are adapted to fit, hook members carried by the board on the under side thereof to partly encircle said chair members, means to lock the hook members to retain said chair members in their recesses, and brace means carried by the board and angularly directed to engage the lower portions of the chair members and to rest upon the enlargements thereof, said brace means comprising two brace assemblies each comprising a socket bracket affixed to the board, a brace arm having a ball in each said socket and movable between retracted and bracing positions in said socket, and a spring clip on the free end of each arm and directed to frictionally engage the mentioned chair members and enlargements.

3. A tray according to claim 2 in which clips are provided on the under face of the board for storing connection with the brace arms.

4. A tray according to claim 2 in which clips are provide on the under face of the board for storing connection with the brace arms, the clip on each brace arm being disposed at an angle to the arm on which mounted and the arms being rotational in their mounting brackets.

5. A tray adapted to be removably connected to transversely spaced vertical tubular members of a chair in which lower enlargments are provided, said tray comprising a board having transversely spaced recesses into which said chair members are adapted to fit, hook members carried by the board on the under side thereof to partly encircle said chair members, means to lock the hook members to retain said chair members in their recesses, said means including an operating handle, means to releasably latch said handle after the same has moved the mentioned chair members encircling means, brace means carried by the board and angularly directed to engage the lower portions of the chair members and to rest upon the enlargements thereof, pivot means for the handle, said handle extending laterally beneath the tray and terminating inward of one side edge of the tray, and the locking means comprising a member affixed to the tray and provided with a handle-engaging locking abutment to lock the hook members while placing the links in tension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A TRAY ADAPTED TO BE REMOVABLY CONNECTED TO TRANSVERSELY SPACED VERTICAL TUBULAR MEMBERS OF A CHAIR IN WHICH LOWER ENLARGEMENTS ARE PROVIDED, SAID TRAY COMPRISING A BOARD HAVING TRANSVERSELY SPACED RECESSES INTO WHICH SAID CHAIR MEMBERS ARE ADAPTED TO FIT, HOOK MEMBERS CARRIED BY THE BOARD ON THE UNDER SIDE THEREOF TO PARTLY ENCIRCLE SAID CHAIR MEMBERS, MEANS TO LOCK THE HOOK MEMBERS TO RETAIN SAID CHAIR MEMBERS IN THEIR RECESSES, SAID MEANS COMPRISING APIVOTED HOOK-PROVIDED LOCKING DOGS AND MEANS TO MOVE SAID DOGS ON THEIR PIVOTS BETWEEN RETRACTED AND PARTLY ENCIRCLING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CHAIR MEMBERS, AND BRACE MEANS CARRIED BY THE BOARD AND ANGULARLY DIRECTED TO ENGAGE THE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE CHAIR MEMBERS AND TO REST UPON THE ENLARGEMENTS THEREOF. 